Pegschalet:
I haven't read Prince Michael's book. The story has already been written by an American author. It's called "The Scandalous Mrs. Blackford" by Harnett T. Kane with Victor Leclerc. Published in 1951 It is told from her side of the story. "The fabulous story of an American woman's empire-shaking love affair with the Grand Duke Nicholas of Russia. It looks like it was well researched. Victor Leclerc is a pseudonym for a well known Russian scholar and lecturer. He heard the story from descendants of the old Russian court circle who remembered how she had shocked and charmed St. Petersburg. Her journal was suppressed but a few rare copies existed. Mr. Leclerc found it at the New York Public Library among the books which no one under 18 was allowed to read. Mrs. Blackford came from Old Philadelphia society (ala Princess Grace) and the newspapers of the time were filled with her exploits. She was just "Scandalous" and the papers loved her.

She published an account in 1875 in Paris "Le Roman d'une Americaine in Russie under penname Fanny Lear. A few copies that exist have 20 pages torn out by the Belgian police under pressure from the Russian GOvt. Her book includes letters from her lover, the Tsar's nephew.I enjoyed the story and it was a quick read. Interesting from the Americain point of view which is unusual in Romanov stories. A good addition to your library. Pretty reasonable on Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/scandalous-Mrs-Blackford-Harnett-Thomas/dp/B0007E4NUC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1267372534&sr=8-1

Has anyone read this book?

« Last Edit: February 28, 2010, 08:59:26 AM by Pegschalet » Logged

Alixz:
I haven't read the book, I do remember hearing about Fanny Lear. I just can't remember where.

Perhaps it was in another book but I remember that she shook up Russian and European society.

kmerov:
Quote from: Alixz on March 13, 2010, 11:42:12 AM

I haven't read the book, I do remember hearing about Fanny Lear. I just can't remember where.

Perhaps it was in another book but I remember that she shook up Russian and European society.

Fanny Lear was the mistress of Grand Duke Nicholas Konstantinovich, and there is some info about her and her account in one of the Konstantinovichi threads. But yes, it was a great scandal at the time.

Marlene:

Yes. And I own the book.

Quote from: Pegschalet on March 13, 2010, 11:27:42 AM

I haven't read Prince Michael's book. The story has already been written by an American author. It's called "The Scandalous Mrs. Blackford" by Harnett T. Kane with Victor Leclerc. Published in 1951 It is told from her side of the story. "The fabulous story of an American woman's empire-shaking love affair with the Grand Duke Nicholas of Russia. It looks like it was well researched. Victor Leclerc is a pseudonym for a well known Russian scholar and lecturer. He heard the story from descendants of the old Russian court circle who remembered how she had shocked and charmed St. Petersburg. Her journal was suppressed but a few rare copies existed. Mr. Leclerc found it at the New York Public Library among the books which no one under 18 was allowed to read. Mrs. Blackford came from Old Philadelphia society (ala Princess Grace) and the newspapers of the time were filled with her exploits. She was just "Scandalous" and the papers loved her.

She published an account in 1875 in Paris "Le Roman d'une Americaine in Russie under penname Fanny Lear. A few copies that exist have 20 pages torn out by the Belgian police under pressure from the Russian GOvt. Her book includes letters from her lover, the Tsar's nephew.I enjoyed the story and it was a quick read. Interesting from the Americain point of view which is unusual in Romanov stories. A good addition to your library. Pretty reasonable on Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/scandalous-Mrs-Blackford-Harnett-Thomas/dp/B0007E4NUC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1267372534&sr=8-1

Has anyone read this book?

« Last Edit: February 28, 2010, 08:59:26 AM by Pegschalet » Logged

Greg_King:
Just saw this and since it's an area of interest....

The "well known Russian author" involved with The Scandalous Mrs. Blackford was Alexandre Tarsaidze. The book is a novel, as is Prince Michael of Greece's book. The book is, though, based heavily on Henrietta's own 1874 memoirs-the authors correctly state that few copies survived and many were seized and censored in Paris and in Brussels by authorities at the request of the Russian Government anxious to conceal the scandal over her relationship with Nicholas Konstantinovich. That said, almost everything in the book about Henrietta before she sets foot in Russia is fiction-Penny Wilson and myself (with the assistance of several generous and skilled researchers) have conducted extensive research on her life in Russia and in America and even obtained her brother-in-law's personal copy of her memoirs with her annotations. There is a huge amount of material-love letters, reports on Henrietta, etc., in Russia that has filled out the story quite a bit, but I'd only consider the sections dealing with her relationship with Nicholas Konstantinovich to be close to the truth-anything else is best read as fiction.